Land Art Brooch No. 1 (Lost and Found)

by Tatum Gentry

This brooch is composed of remnants gathered from land near an abandoned coal mine that was active for over fifty years, beginning in 1847. What remains are traces of daily life: buttons, glass bottles, broken tools, and countless cans once used for food and coffee. These fragments offer insight into past generations; the earth holds onto their stories long after they are left behind.

The glass was discovered shattered on the ground, absorbed into the landscape. I hand-cut and carved each piece to restore a sense of value to the material, while preserving the scratches and imperfections on its surface so as not to erase its history. Behind the clear glass, I’ve placed natural mica found near the same site—a subtle reference back to the land from which these materials came from. the strips of metal forming the brooch facing remains largely untouched; their patina comes from years of exposure to the elements, and even the holes are original to the found material. The backing itself references wire forms that have been found repeatedly across the site—objects whose purpose is uncertain, but which may have once been part of fencing. last but not least are the numerous casings found littered all over the desert landscape, it is difficult these days to walk more then 100 ft in the open landscape without finding one or two casings scattered on the ground. Here I've collected them and changed their destiny by repurposing them into beads and giving them a new value, again preserving the natural patina the Earth gave them.

Materials: Sterling silver,glass,ceramic,copper,brass,nickel,mica,cotton

Size: 9in x 3.5in